Fomite Transmission

INTRODUCTION:
In this experiment, I learned direct and indirect transmission of microorganisms. Direct transmission occurs when physical contact between an infected person and non-infected person. This transmission can occur with a hug, a handshake or a kiss to an infected person. Indirect transmission occurs when there is no direct person to person contact. We can receive this transmission through contact with a contaminated surface, object or vector, such as a sneeze, a cough or just touching a contaminated object, like a door knob.

MATERIALS and METHODS:
Fomite Transmission Experiment (1) was followed as described in the lab manual from clinical microbiology class C-453. The material utilized in this lab experiment was: sterile cotton swabs, small amount of tap water in a cup, and two agar plates. With a marker, the plates were divided into four sections and labelled with the different location sites. The 8 different locations that I selected for this experiment were:

Example of this large growth was the bottom of my son’s backpack, it had a large colony which extended pass the mark boarders of the agar plate. The appearance of the growth was a white cottony with a small green center. Another significant growth was on the bottom of my son’s shoes, it had three large colonies. One of these colonies was white and flat with uneven edges, while the other two colonies had a white cottony appearance. The kitchen light switch specimen had three small colonies. Two of these colonies were flat and white, with the third colony having a flat yellow appearance. My son’s iPad button had four small circular colonies. Three of these colonies were white and flat but the fourth colony had a yellow appearance. The TV remote had similar type of colonies as the iPad button. No growth was observed on the refrigerator door handle, the door knob or on the kitchen